Vulnerabilities of institutionalized women living with schizophrenia: photoethnographic narratives

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the vulnerabilities experienced by women diagnosed with schizophrenia residing in an Inclusive Residential Facility in southern Brazil. It is a qualitative study grounded in the theoretical-methodological framework of Social Constructionism, employing photoethnography and narrative production as methods. Twenty-eight women were investigated through participant observation with ethnographic immersion, with data collected via photographic and textual records. Data collection spanned 18 months, from July 2022 to January 2024, resulting in the analysis of 543 photographs and an extensive textual corpus. The findings revealed practices of exclusion, isolation, delegated guardianship, physical deterioration, hypermedicalization, dependency, and care based on religious practices. The vulnerabilities affecting these women’s mental health are shaped by gender inequalities and the persistence of asylumbased practices in society.